Cutting blowpipe



July 23, 1957 c; c. ANTHEs 2,800,173

CUTTING BLOWPIPE Filed-April 2s. 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 lNvENToR CLIFFORD C. ANTHES RNEY July 23, 1957 A c. c. ANTHEs 2,800,173

CUTTING BLOWPIPE Filed April 26, 1954 2 sheetssneet z ze l INVENTOR A .Y CLIFFORD c. ANTHEs Lg '-i; BY

United States Patent() 2,800,173 CUfITING BLOWPIPE CllordC; Anthos, Union, `N. J., assignortoUnionvCari bideiCorporatiom acorporation :ofNemYlork Application April 26, 1954, Serial No. 425,425*- n 3- Claimf (C,l-.158.2.7-4) i This invention relates to. blowpiples.. for. cutting metal. Qne object of the invention is to lp'rovideablowpipe of this ,typewhich is less tlikely/to.kickback from aposition inwhi chitisbeingheld, upon opening a cutting oxygen valve. Another object is to n provide such; a. blowpipe Whicheishless. likely. to,chill the work by too suddena ruslirof, cuttingoxygenginlevent the .wo rk may not be Y preheated enough beforefturning on the cutting oxygen valve!v Aifurther, object is to attain these foregoingobjectsfwithout recourse, tomechanismzfor insuring a slow opening. ofa cutting oxygen valve insuch` a blowpipe. Yet"another object is to provide a blowtorchwhichis simpler and easier4 to produce and whereby itis no,` longer necessary te blind solderseveralijoints simultaneously, whereby the laborand expense of machining and assembly of such Va blowpipe is substantially reducedpas much' as about 2.5%, and wherebyboth the assembly and the taking down olf/.such a blowpipe for cleaningand servicing` are madeeasier. t

In cutting `blowpipe's, the disadvantages of too sudden a rusliiof,:cuttingi oxygenonsuddenly openingthez-,valve for this.y gasy have beenl recognized. One such disadvantagefrom `too sudden.an opening ofthe control valve for cntting .oxygen is the :danger thata suddensurge of Such` ges. ,may predueeekiCk-,baek inthe blqwpireweryine itloff thetarget on v,which it isbeingairnedkin-:a manner somewhat analogous. to :the way: a irearrn willl kickfbaclc whena projectilelleaves :its muzzle, kswerjve the weaponto one side and require againtaimingfthepiece.' Another disadvantage from a toosudden surge of cuttinggoxygen is thezpossibilily thatlkthecold gas havingxjustl beenY expandedfrorn a pressure of as high-.asfZQOOfpounds per square inch in .ahigh pressnreifcylindernor gas Aatlvroom temperature. may ehll. thewerktte. e temperature; below its ,kindling temperature'with aA sudden surge lunless the WQrkpiee-.e liebeen -wellrpreheed .en` edequateemount- Heretofore eifortstosolvethis Vproblemhave been..di, rected principally at waystodnsure havingnthe control valve for the, cutting. ,oxygen open every slowly or grad.- Uellyf, Such. eferts Baye leaded-ifo.- 'eeemplieated `valve mechanismY and ton high a `pricelfor, the `cutting toohV In -Seerehinafer ways. .to Simplify fhemenufeeture .0f these blowpipes applicant. has `beenfsuccessful, by eifeting a reductiondn the-time and labnrl requiredin .al particular Size oteuttinablewpipe, by redueinethenumber ,0f times the,l tool Y has `to be centered for l, counterboring, `anil ref ducing the `amnunt oicross boringand pluggingneeessary to connect gas passageyvays.. A s aresultof his efforts at simpliic'atioiiin manufacture, applicant discovered jthat by arrangingthepreheat mixturelpass'ageway Withinrthe Cutting Oxygen tube between the blowpipe body andhead, the volume'f this part of the cutting oxygenpassageway couldygbe `made monelthanl ve times its-former volume for a Seme SizeuttinablWPipe vwithout giyingihe new cutting tool the objectionable appearance of bulk, which wouldihave resultelifA thevolnme ofthe prior. commercial Cutting blQlWpipei between .the-.control-yalve. and 1head. had

, 2,800,173 Patented July 23, 19,57

,ffice been increased, to,v this amount'. Al hand tool such as, a cutting blowpvipe mustnot give the, user the, impression of bulkbecause that is too closely associated in idea with Weight to` be successful The larger volume of cutting oxygenspaceA has been s uicient to effect the aforementionedadvantages,inreductionin kick-back tendency and reduction in danger offchilling ythe-work.

Referring tothey drawings Fig, 1- is alongitudinahsecf tionA througha` preferred embodiment of. this invention. Eig.,2,is ,aasec,tion on lthefline 2 -2 ofvFig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the mixing mounting tube in positionl Within the b ody portion of theblowpipe. Fig. 4 showstheconstrnction of Fig. 3 `after the head, has been attached and before, the cuttingvoxygen-tube-hasbeen soldered in place.y Fig.| 5 isa View corresponding; toFig;J 4 but-with the` cutting oxygentubesoldered in position at each; end. Fig.,6 isa View corresponding-to Fig. 5; butwiththeaddition ofl theadapter screwed into position-.vin'thebody portion 0f .the blowpip e. In Eig. 7 the cutting. oxygen valvespring and actuating lever have been fadded.

The body portionllOf-ofi the presentblowpipe ischen acterized bythe-presenceof three generally cylindrical recesses: thatlettered Abeingt for theadapter and'oxygen supply, that designated Bhas its axis inthe same vertical plane vwith recessA but is arrangedat an acute angle thereto asshown-in theldrawings Figs. Zand 3, the recess Q is arranged-with--itsfaxisin agtransversevplane designed 2m-.2l and is-inclinedy withrespect tothe plane` o fl the drawing of Fig.- 1; as shown inqFig. 2.'

Thebody portionrofthe present blowpipe has mounted therein .an-.inner `or mixer` mounting tube 11L solderedi'to the vbody portionat12. n Alsoisolderedqin the bodyportion is the youterftube `or cuttinggOXygenpassageway 13 surrounding they inner tube .11.A Bothgtubes 11!` and 13 are soldered tothe'head 141 inwhich is received th'e nozzle 14a. Y

Asshown in vPigs. n 3 i and 4. after the mixermounting tubellhasbeen solderedzin the4 body-portion 10,'the

cuttingw oxygen ;tube 13 `is then Aslid into the body4 portion t as ,showninvFiggA With thetube 13jy in; the'position shown in Fig. 4. the head 14 is next-soldered -to theV mixer mountingv tube at 15; givingtthe operatorthe opportunity to observe oneendaof the soldered joint while the-outer tuber13 is Withdrawn to be spaced;4 from theihead 14. Afterward the tube 1,31is thenslid forward and soldered to` the body portionat'l-and to lthe head at 17; Anadvantage in this, method of, assembly is that a..better solderedtjoint15 isobtainable when an endofr it can be observed, than would bey the,1case,if -both thejoints 15 ,and :17 t had to .bev simultaneously blind soldered;`

Amixer 18 is inserted within the mixermounting Ytube 11,` thel rear yend portion of this mixer having-the-0 .rings mounted thereon, one `within thetmixer mounting tube and the other Within an adapter 19 into whichthe. rear end portion of the mixer 18 ts afterlthe adapter'19 -has been threadedv intol the body portion 10.l The rear eind portionv 20-of the-adapterl is received within an appropriate connection throughv which are supplied `fuel vand oxidizing gases.

rings shown but not numbered, such-packing reducingl the likelihood of any-'gas leaking out through the nut 28 either between the threads or around thestem 22.v v- Y As shown in Fig. 2 the preheat oxygen throttle valve is provided with a control handle 29 on the valve stem 30.

VThe recess C for'this preheat oxygen valve intersects the,

recesses A and B, The intersection of the recesses A and Cris at'the end `of recess C within the body portion -as shown in Fig. l where the cutting oxygen after passing the valve element 23 enters the cuttingroxygen passageway 13a within the outer tube 13. The recess C also intersects one side of the recess B so that oxygen within the space 31 around the seat retainer 21 may then enter through the passageway 32 `between recesses B and C and leading to the passageway 34 beneath the movable valve element 33 on the stem 30. As shown in Figs. l and 2 the preheat oxygen space 35 around the rear end portion of the mixer mounting tube 11 receives the preheat oxy- `gen after it has passed the movable element 33 of the preheat oxygen valve. This preheat oxygen then enters through the ports 36 in the mixer mounting tube to a space 37 around the mixer along which it travels to thc forward end of the mixer where this preheat oxygen enters through the passageway 38 to be mixed with fuel gas and the mixture travels through the passageway 39 to the head and nozzle. Oxygen for both cutting and preheat purposes enters the adapter 19 through the passageway 4t) which is around the inner passage 41 for fuel gas within the adapter. The fuel gas then continues through the aligned passage 42 within the mixer to its forward end portion where the mixing of the fuel and oxidizing gases occurs. Oxygen travelling through the passageway 40 enters the space shown around the mixer 18 and between the adapter 19 and mixer mounting tube 11, from which it passes through the port shown into the recess B where it divides, the preheat portion following the lower forked arrow, through the passageway 32, past the valve movable element 33, and through passageways 34, 35 and 36. The upper one of the forked arrows in Fig. l shows the direction of the cutting oxygen into the space 31 and thence into the space within the valve seat retainer 21 and around the stem 22 for movement past the valve element 23 and into the cutting oxygen passageway 13a.f

The abutment wall 43 in the body portion 10 and the space between this abutment 43 and the end of the outer tube 13 is what enables the tube 13 to be slid back off of the head 14 before soldering to expose one end of the joint 1S during soldering as shown in Fig. 4.

In addition to the mixer mounting tube 11 being soldered at 12 to the body portion of the blowpipe it is also soldered at 44 to the body portion to insure the preheat oxygen having to be moved past the valve element 33 and not short circuited as mighthappen if the solder element 44 were not present.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned a reduction in the cost of assembly of about 25% due to elimination of the labor of centering and counterboring being reduced since the adapter, mixer and mixer mounting tube are in substantial alignment. After removal of the adapter the mixer may be withdrawn for cleaning or servicing. Another reason for reduction in cost of` erection and assembly is the fact that substantial labor expense is saved in elimination of some of the previously necessary cross boring and plugging of passageway thus bored` One factor contributing to this result is the inclination of the recess C and its intersection with the recess B and a forward portion of recess A within the body 10, this intersection of these recesses eliminating the need for some of the cross boring operations previously necessary. Another advantage of this invention is the elimination of blind solderingfof the four connections at each end of the inner and outer tubes 11 and 13. By having the tube 13 `slidable into the body portion 10 as shown in Fig. 4 it is possible to have each of the soldered joints 1S and 17 made separately and not simultaneously soldered. ,Y

i i An important advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that they cutting oxygenpassageway-13a within the outer tube 13 is between 5 and 6 times larger than is necessary to pass the desired amount of cutting oxygen, between 281 and 331 cubic feet per hour in a cutting blowpipe for operation on Ia workpiece 5 inches thick and with no more pressure drop between the cutting oxygen control valve movable kelement 23 and the nozzle 14a than about 2 lbs. per sq. inch. The prior cutting blowpipe of this size had only .26 cubic inch as the volume of the oxygen passageway between the cutting oxygen valve and the nozzle whereas the cutting oxygen passageway 13a between these same points has a volume of 1.38 cubic inches. The advantage in the increased volume to the cutting oxygen passageway 13a is `two-fold. It acts as a partial cushion to reduce the suddenness of a surge of cutting oxygen which might otherwise take place 0n opening the control valve. YThe danger. of this sudden rush of gas from prior art cutting blowpipes was appreelated but efforts to eliminate the di'culty appear to have been conned largely to efforts to make the ycutting oxygen control valve open slowly.V T oo vsudden a rush of cutting oxygen from the nozzle is likely to cause a kickback, throwing the blowpipe away from the position toward L which it is being aimed. Another danger of a too sudden rush of cutting oxygen from the nozzle is the possibility of chilling the work if it has not been adequately preheated to its kindling temperature for uniting with the quantity of oxygen lbeing supplied. Unlike the common practice of having a plurality of pipes or tubes appearing to connect the body portion and head, the blowpipe of the present invention may have ronly one such tube, the fuel mixture being within the cutting oxygen tube as described above.

Still another advantage in the present invention is an improvement in simplicity and cost of construction due to having the mixer in the body portion of the attachment instead of in a nozzle portion as has heretofore been suggested. A Vmixer usually entails precision in the size of the cross-sectional area and length of the passageways for fuel gasrand'oxygen both before and after such place of mixing is reached. Inasmuch as several'types of nozzles are often needed, Vthis invention eliminates the need for as great precision in nozzle construction when the mixer is in the body portion of the attachment. With the mixer in a nozzle three instead of two gas seals 14b and 14C are needed at the nozzle. i

I claim:

1. In a cutting blowpipe having a body, a head, a nozzle, tubes connecting said body and head, one tube constituting a passageway for a preheat fuel gas mixture, another tube constituting a passageway .for cutting oxygen, and a control valve for the latter in said body, the combination therewith of the improvement for reducing the disadvantages of a surge of cutting oxygen causing a kick-back in the cutting or a chilling of the work on a sudden opening of the cutting oxygen control valve, said improvement including disposing the fuel gas mixture tube inside the cutting oxygen tube between said body and head and providing a volume of said tube for cutting oxygen between at least about 2 to 20 times the volume required kto pass 281 to 331 cubic feet per hour with a pressure drop of not over two pounds per square inch in said tube between said valve and nozzle for the samerinitial pressure and length of tube.

2. A blow pipe according to claim 1 in which said cutting oxygen tube has a volume between said head and body of about five times the volume required to pass said quantity of cutting oxygen with not more than said pressure drop. Y

3. A blowpipe according to claim 2 in which said cutting oxygen tube has a volume of about 1.38 cubic inches.

4. A blowpipe according to claim 1 in which said inner and outer tubes are each `soldered to said head iat ne end and to said body at the other end and the outer tube before being soldered at each end has a sliding t Within said body to allow exposure and soldering of the inner tube to said head, and a shoulder on said head against which said outer tube may be slid to cover said inner tube after said inner tube has been soldered.

5. In a cutting blowpipe of the type having a body, a front head, gas supply tubes arranged one within the other and connecting said body and head, a throttle valve for preheat oxygen on said body, and a lever actuated control valve for cutting oxygen also on said body, the combination therewith of the improvement whereby said blowpipe may be constructed at reduced cost by elimination of some of the previous cross borings, said improvement including said body being provided with three recesses, one extending longitudinally through said body for reception of said inner and outer gas supply tubes, another recess being in a generally longitudinal and vertical plane with said rst mentioned recess and at an acute angle thereto, said control valve being located in said second mentioned recess, said second mentioned recess extending to intersect said first mentioned recess, said third recess having its axis in a transverse plane through the first mentioned recess, said throttle valve being located in said third recess, third recess being extended far enough and of a size to intersect the other two whereby no cross boring is needed between said other two and the intersecting recess.

6. A cutting blowpipe comprising a body portion having a longitudinal bore therethrough, a mixer mounting tube seated in and extending from one end of said bore, a mixer seated in said mounting tube having a portion extending from the end thereof lying within said bore, a cutting oxygen tube seated at one end in said bore and surrounding the extended end of said mixer mounting tube, an adapter inserted in the other end of said longitudinal boreand having therein separate longitudinal passageways for fuel gas and oxygen, respectively, the extending portion of said mixer interiitting with said adapter to connect said mixer to said adapter fuel gas passageway, the inner end of said adapter being spaced from the inner end of said mounting tube to form in said bore an annular chamber surrounding said extending portion of said mixer and receiving oxygen from said adapter oxygen passageway, said body having a cutting oxygen passageway leading from said annular chamber to the inside of said cutting oxygen tube with a control valve in such oxygen passageway, and a head to which said cutting oxygen tube and mixer mounting tube are connected, said mixer, mixer mounting tube and oxygen cutting tube being in coaxial alignment with said bore whereby on removal of said adapter from the end of the bore in said body portion, said mixer may be removed for cleaning.

7. A blowpipe comprising a body portion having a longitudinal bore with an inlet portion of one diameter,

an abutment portion of reduced diameter intermediate the ends, and an outlet portion of larger diameter, a mixer mounting tube having a stem extending through said abutment portion and extending into said outlet portion and a head seated in said inlet portion engaging said abutment portion, said head having a peripheral 'groove forming an annular preheat oxygen space', a cutting oxygen tube seated in said outlet portion s'r rounding the stem of said mixer mounting tube, an' adapter inserted in said inlet portion and having pas# sages therethrough for oxygen and fuel gases, respec tively, a mixer inserted in said mounting tube and having a portion extending therefrom and interiitting with said adapter to connect said mixer to said adapter fuel gas passageway, said adapter and mixer mounting tube head being spaced apart to form an annular oxygen chamber surrounding the extending portion of said mixer,

. said body portion having a cutting oxygen passage leadingrfrom said annular oxygen chamber to the inside of said cutting oxygen tube, said body portion having a preheat gas passageway leading from said annular oxygen chamber to said preheat oxygen space, said mixer tube having an aperture leading from said preheat oxygen space to said mixer, the two portions of said bore of dierenty diameters being` coaxial whereby a single way, said body having a valve recess, a cutting oxygen i valve movable within said recess, said body portion having a passageway connecting said annular chamber to said valve recess ahead ofsaid valve, said valve recess extending from beyond said valve into said outlet portion of said bore at an acute angle and intersecting said cutting oxygen tube to complete the cutting oxygen passageway whereby cross drilling followed by plugging is avoided in any portion of said cutting oxygen passageway.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,139,959 Fausek et al. May 18, 14915 1,316,681 Burritt Sept. 23, 1919 1,409,220 Leighty Mar. 14, 1922 1,444,985 Smith Feb. 13, 1923 1,537,481 McCutchen May 12, 1925 1,699,851 McIntosh Jan. 22, 1929 1,709,886 Smith Apr. 23, 1929 2,198,342 Jacobsson Apr. 23, 1940 2,538,916 Rudolph Jan. 23, 1951 

5. IN CUTTING BLOWPIPE OF THE TYPE HAVING A BODY, A FRONT HEAD, GAS SUPPLY TUBES ARRANGED ONE WITHIN THE OTHER AND CONNECTING SAID BODY AND HEAD, A THROTTLE VALVE FOR PRECAT OXYGEN ON SAID BODY, AND A LEVER ACTUATED CONTROL VALVE FOR CUTTING OXYGEN ALSO ON SAID BODY, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREBY SAID BLOWPIPE MAY BE CONSTRUCTED AT REDUCED 